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If a student is having difficulties staying focused, getting work done, or organizing points for

an issue, don’t assume that they aren’t trying. They may simply not know how to do it. They need help building their executive functions. 

Developing our executive function skills is a lifelong process,….. Read More

Much of the mastery-based approach can be found in elementary schools, especially meeting students where they are. However, there are still practices in elementary schools that are more aligned with compliance than agency. 

In one of the opening break out sessions during the Washington Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative Fall Gathering a teacher in an elementary school said they were nervous about shifting classroom management around so that students were taking more responsibility…… Read More

Over the past 15 years there have multiple efforts by states to launch initiatives to modernize schools using the research on learning. Some introduce social-emotional learning. Some focus on personalization based on self-determination theory and others introducing more technology (which may or may not consider the research on learning in how it is used)…… Read More

This is an updated article originally published in 2019.

Where’s the beef?

Are you old enough to remember the Wendy’s slogan? It’s now a more general question about the value of any idea. Although I am an advocate for personalized, competency-based education, I also think we should be asking Where’s the beef?….. Read More

Please note: This article is ever-under construction as everyone I talk with has another incredible valuable insight.

When it comes to creating state policy to sustain competency-based education (CBE is also fondly known as proficiency-, performance-, or mastery-based education), there seem to be two big questions that float among the halls and zoom-rooms of state leadership:

1. How do states initiate or support schools that want to become CBE?….. Read More

What do you want to learn this summer? Here are a few of the options available on project-based learning, grading for equity, and classroom practices that might be helpful for schools that are launching competency-based models. There is even a Building 21 Summer Design Institute. I’ve bolded several that have been recommended by other schools…… Read More

This is an initial cut on this question. It’s a topic that hasn’t been adequately researched….yet. I’ll update as people share ideas and resources. Feel free to jump ahead to find a few promising practices and examples of competency-based alternative schools at the end. ….. Read More

Competency-based education has been getting attention in the mainstream media. First the Wall Street Journal did an indepth look at the growing interest in CBE and spoke with several leading schools/districts in How Schools Are Rewriting the Rules on Class Time for Students—and Even Ditching Grade Levels.  The Washington Post also covered the topic in Emerging from the pandemic,….. Read More